Alaska does not need a state income tax, nor a statewide sales tax, nor a school tax! But it could use a “volunteer tax,” otherwise known as a lottery. The state of New Jersey is doing wonders with its lottery.

So, why not Alaska?

With the Russian-Trump investigation of the 2016 election, why not an investigation into the payment of $35,000,000 by the Russians to the Clinton Foundation?

On a recent morning at the Homer Public Library, before the building officially opened for the day, kids with bright smiles ran from the parking lot to the front door. These aspiring programmers were on their way to the third day of the library’s free, four-day Coding Camp led by Tauseef, a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center in Pittsburgh, PA. With huge grins the kids, ages nine to eleven, made their way to the library’s meeting room where they spent the morning learning the fundamentals of computer science. (A group of teens also spent four afternoons programming.) Using JavaScript, a common programming language used for games, apps and websites, the kids drew, colored, and animated circles. While it sounds basic, they were actually using advanced math, reading, writing, problem-solving, critical thinking and communication skills to design the beginnings of the familiar game known as Pong. Each unique game design included more than 100 lines of code which the kids created, edited, and rewrote themselves.

Chapman School in Anchor Point was the recent recipient of a grant from the Homer Foundation through their KLEPS fund. This grant gave us an opportunity to purchase iPad minis for students in first through fourth grades.

The U.S. military is the largest consumer of fuel on the planet. When the Navy steams up to play, its four ships (two destroyers, two replenishment ships) will burn more fossil fuel in the three weeks of war games than Seattle City Light burns in half a year. Seattle City Light provides electricity to houses, offices and stores for 800,000 customers. This comparison doesn’t include the Air Force, Army or Coast Guard.

Where does this carbon footprint lead? Military intelligence is wading in to rising sea temperatures, dead fish, deaf sea mammals and birds.

What HB 115 is not is a creation of a specific fund for education, as that cannot be done. No sources of revenue can be dedicated to any particular expenditure. Very clever of the House Democrats, led by Mr. Seaton, to attempt to snooker the under-informed by giving HB 115 the phony short title, “Education Funding Act.” Oh stop; I know he has an “R” by his name, he is about as much an “R” as Bernie Sanders.

The Pratt Museum is pleased to announce that they will be hiring a high school intern this summer thanks to funding from the Homer Foundation. The museum’s award-winning High School Intern program is funded this year with support from the Schroer, Lentfer and Jenson Funds, donor advised funds of the Homer Foundation.